HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SWIMMING: Robbinsville propelled to victory by seldom-seen swimmers

HAMILTON — As usual, Taylor Johnson did her thing, but captains Alana Hopkins and Jillian Galindo did a nice job of peeking out of the shadow that the talented Johnson casts for the Robbinsville girls swim team.

Hopkins, a junior from Allentown, swam in two winning relay teams, won the 100 fly and took third in the 400 freestyle; while Galindo, a senior from Robbinsville, swam on two winning relay teams and also won the 400 freestyle as the duo helped the Ravens to a 114-56 victory at Hamilton West yesterday.

“They do swim in the shadows of Taylor and Sam Hines, who was not here today,” coach Pam Owens said. “Usually they’re the limelight ones, so it’s nice to see in a meet like this, that I could put those girls up there and let them shine a little bit.

“Both are just all-around good girls. They’ll swim whatever I want to put them in and it was great wins for them today. Alana got her first win in the 100 fly, Jillian captured that 400 free for us, so it was nice to see them out there.”

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The coach pointed to Hopkins gutsy effort just after the break when she took a first and a third with just one event to rest in between.

“Alana swam that 100 fly and only had the 100 free to rest,” Owens said. “Then she went back in and got third in that 400 free.

“I just asked her ‘Can you do this for me?’ And she was like ‘You got it coach.’ So I give her a lot of credit for doing that.”

Johnson did her part, of course, with four wins in the 200 medley and free relays, the 200 IM and the 100 back.

Also chipping in was Isabella Trolle, a double winner in two relays who also took second in the 200 IM. Sarah Schmid had a stellar three-win day for the Ravens, winning the 100 free, taking second in the 100 breast and swimming on two winning relay teams.

In moving to 4-3, Robbinsville won all but one event.

“I’m happy with how we came off break,” Owens said. “And this pool was freezing today. It was a tough polar bear swim for them but they all came through it.”

Hornet coach Kyle Schulke, who got a first from Maddie Uram in the 100 breast and two seconds from Sofi Walter, was also happy with how his team returned from break, although it did get to swim in the Hornet Relays a week ago.

“It went all right for us,” Schulke said. “Sofi had some really good swims. She swam well in the 200 and the 100. Maddie was really strong in the breaststroke and was working really hard over break trying and we had some brush-up practices trying to improve her stroke.”

And on the other side of the pool, Hopkins and Galindo continued to prove that their strokes are pretty effective too.